Uncategorized Post

March 2007 SAT scores now available online

For those high school juniors who created an online College Board account, March 2007 scores are available tomorrow morning (that’s the morning of Thursday March 29). Just log on to www.collegeboard.com and log in to your account (don’t forget username/password!) to find your scores.

Don’t be too nervous and not bother to check your scores ASAP. Why? Because no matter how you did, you can’t change it now and it’s going to affect this year’s test-prep schedule. Don’t worry if your score was not what you hoped for: If you performed poorly on your overall score, or if you under-performed on one particular section of the test, you can always re-take it.

Above all, don’t compare your scores directly to those “average” scores cited in the college guides. Remember that those are a student’s BEST 3 SCORES from multiple administrations of the test. What does this mean? SAT test-taking kind is of like a game where you get 3 rolls of the dice for each test. Every time you take it, you get three more rolls (one for each category of Critical Reading, Math, and Writing). Then at the end of the game, you can pick and choose your best 3 rolls. Each successive test provides an opportunity to improve on a weaker section, and a chance for the student to get lucky versus unlucky on those hardest problems. Students: think about how many problems you got down to two and guessed the wrong answer. What if you answered 75% of those questions correctly, instead of 25%? Good test-prep teachers can help you do that.

Speaking of quality SAT prep, did I mention that I will am offering a SAT classroom course for the May 2007 test? If you’re less than happy with your score from the March test, or are an unsatisfied customer of one of the larger test prep companies (trust me, you’re not the only one), feel free to give McElroy Tutoring a try. I’ve been teaching this test for almost a decade, and I aced it myself exactly a decade ago (wow, time has flown by). Since that time I’ve dedicated myself to learning everything I can about the test-prep and college admissions processes.

For more information on my SAT CLASSROOM COURSE FOR THE MAY 2007 SAT, visit this link

In addition to my SAT courses, we will soon be offering a series of other classes at the tutoring center. These classes will be taught by some of our most sucessful and sought-after tutors, and will include SAT, ACT, GRE and GMAT classes. These classes will meet short-term as well as long-term, and will always be available less than the major-test prep companies. Don’t overpay for a workbook full of tips and tricks that your college-aged tutor doesn’t know how to teach. At McElroy Tutoring, we’re professional tutors, educators, consultants and counselors. We are proud of our tutors’ results and are happy to stand by them…give us a call and let’s see if we can help you.

That being said, if you did great on the SAT on March 10th (like I hope all my students will), don’t be afraid to give yourself a pat on the back and just move on with your life (SAT Subject Tests and college applications, sports, family, friends, volunteering, actually relaxing for a second, etc!) Yes, the more times you take SAT, the more your combined score will increase; it’s a well-known fact and this is even encouraged by colleges who want their “average” test scores to be inflated by applicants who took many administrations of the SAT. But there is much more to your application, and to your life in fact, than a number. Focus your newfound time on being original and being true to yourselves and your passions. Go learn how to speak Swedish or Portuguese, get a part-time job, take a cooking class, learn an instrument, whatever you want. How many times in life will your free time be yours for the taking, so long as you use it productively? Keep yourself active physically and mentally, making sure to re-allocate that extra time that your peers spend reviewing for the next SAT. There is nothing wrong with taking it once, knocking it out of the park then walking away from the table. This shows confidence and implies that you are proud of your SAT score and don’t see the need to re-take it.

If you have trouble deciding whether to re-take the SAT or “walk away from the table,” as I like to put it, please call me to discuss. Don’t trust practice test results that aren’t from REAL SATs: did you know that NONE of the questions that the major test companies (Kaplan, Princeton, Ivy West, et al.) uses is a real SAT question? Practice-test scores are notoriously inaccurate at these companies…usually they are artificially low. This way, when someone who takes the SAT sees how much better they performed on the real thing, they are fooled into thinking they got their money’s worth. Don’t be lulled into mediocrity and complacency by a “name brand” tutoring company whose primary focus is on the bottom line and selling their own “one size fits all” workbooks. Many of you could still benefit from the services of a more skilled, professional tutor, and could stand to improve your scores an extra 100 points or more.

Warning: Every year I have at least one student who has his/her scores delayed, for one reason or another. However, there is good news: I would expect the College Board to perform almost flawlessly this time, especially after their last scoring fiasco!

Anyway, good luck to everyone. Give me a call anytime at 858-273-TUTOR or email me at mcelroy@post.harvard.edu to let us know what you think of your scores. We can then set up a time to further discuss the test-prep process and your future plans for college and beyond. Please remember that my initial consultations are always free, as is this advice!

Brian

Back to Blog Home